When Fred Risser first began serving in the state Senate, he was paid $200 a month. Today, 42 years later, the job pays just under $50,000 a year. Of course, the job was part-time then and full-time now. But the fact remains that Wisconsin's lawmakers receive the ninth-highest salary in the country, according to the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance.
Risser put it best when asked by the Post-Crescent newspaper in Appleton whether legislators are compensated fairly.
"It's too much (pay) for some legislators and not enough for others," Risser, D-Madison, said.
Which means that in at least one respect, the capitol is a lot like other workplaces. Some earn their keep, others are stealing.
Lawmakers who earn their keep pour a lot of time and effort into the job, and face a significant amount of public criticism and scrutiny. Especially for those in the Assembly, who must be re-elected every two years, the campaign almost never stops, and it's a grind. The pay, while good by many standards, probably isn't the reason most seek the job. There are many government jobs that pay much better.
That said, lawmakers should reject the raise they are about to get.
In January, the state's 132 legislators are due to get a 5.3 percent pay hike - from $47,413 to $49,943. The increases are set by the Office of State Employment Relations every two years.
There are two reasons individual lawmakers would be wise to reject the increase.
First and foremost is the status of the state budget. With a deficit of billions of dollars to close in the next budget, a pay raise for lawmakers simply looks bad. Even though a freeze of lawmaker pay would barely amount to a drop in the budget bucket, legislators should reject the increase to send a public message that they're willing to sacrifice as many others certainly will be asked to.
Also, there's the reality that few workers - certainly in the private sector but also in positions paid by tax dollars - will see anything close to a 5.3 percent pay increase in 2009. Many will see their salaries cut or frozen. The Legislature - directly and indirectly - sets limits on increases public employees in schools and local and county governments can make. Those limits certainly are less than 5.3 percent. And budget cuts are certain to necessarily reduce the number and pay of jobs throughout state government.
For those reasons, there should be a public uproar if legislators accept this pay raise.
Risser put it best when asked by the Post-Crescent newspaper in Appleton whether legislators are compensated fairly.
"It's too much (pay) for some legislators and not enough for others," Risser, D-Madison, said.
Which means that in at least one respect, the capitol is a lot like other workplaces. Some earn their keep, others are stealing.
Lawmakers who earn their keep pour a lot of time and effort into the job, and face a significant amount of public criticism and scrutiny. Especially for those in the Assembly, who must be re-elected every two years, the campaign almost never stops, and it's a grind. The pay, while good by many standards, probably isn't the reason most seek the job. There are many government jobs that pay much better.
That said, lawmakers should reject the raise they are about to get.
In January, the state's 132 legislators are due to get a 5.3 percent pay hike - from $47,413 to $49,943. The increases are set by the Office of State Employment Relations every two years.
There are two reasons individual lawmakers would be wise to reject the increase.
First and foremost is the status of the state budget. With a deficit of billions of dollars to close in the next budget, a pay raise for lawmakers simply looks bad. Even though a freeze of lawmaker pay would barely amount to a drop in the budget bucket, legislators should reject the increase to send a public message that they're willing to sacrifice as many others certainly will be asked to.
Also, there's the reality that few workers - certainly in the private sector but also in positions paid by tax dollars - will see anything close to a 5.3 percent pay increase in 2009. Many will see their salaries cut or frozen. The Legislature - directly and indirectly - sets limits on increases public employees in schools and local and county governments can make. Those limits certainly are less than 5.3 percent. And budget cuts are certain to necessarily reduce the number and pay of jobs throughout state government.
For those reasons, there should be a public uproar if legislators accept this pay raise.
